Cotton cleaning and renovating plant.



J. C. GARNER & C. S REYNOLDS.

COTTON CLEANING AND RENOVATING PLANT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11191.1.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1- rm: COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D.

J. C. GARNER & C. S. REYNOLDS.

COTTON CLEANING AND RENOVATING PLANT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, NHL

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

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IDIILIUIIELILLIIHU KN MN THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPI! .60., WASHINGTON, n. C.

COTTON APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, Hill.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

e 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

avwa vwom Ja/vvuw .S. (Rwy/140M THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co, WASHINGTON. n.

J. c. GARNER & c. s. REYNOLDS.

COTTON CLEANING AND RENOVATING PLANT.

APPLICATION FILED lULY 7.1911.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4- JAMES C. GARNER, OF DALLAS, AND CHARLES S. REYNOLDS, 0F HOUSTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOBS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO GARNER REG-IN MACHINERY COMPANY, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, A CORPORATION OF TEXAS.

COTTON CLEANING AND RENOVATING PLANT.

LISOJEW.

Application filed July 7, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMEs C. GARNER, residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, and CHARLES S. REYN- OLDS, residing at Houston, in the county of Harris and State of Texas, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton Cleaning and Renovating Plants, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to plants for cleaning cotton and other fibrous materials.

In the cotton industry at the present time a considerable amount of so-called second or low-grade cotton comes upon the market and commands a relatively low price. This cotton comes from various sources, but one of the sources is found in the lint which falls from the gins in the regular process of ginning, and the lint which falls from the press in pressing the cotton. Such waste cotton falling upon the floor is swept up as it accumulates and is finally baled, together with the trash and dirt which naturally accumulates with it. Other sources of this second grade cotton might be pointed out, but it is sufficient to note that while coming from various sources, the cotton fiber is in large part of comparatively good quality, its defects being largely due to its tangled and trashy condition.

It has been found that the cotton fiber in such a condition can be cleaned and renovated so that the resulting product compares favorably with the cotton which is rated as first-grade. In carrying out such a cleaning and renovating process, in accordance with the present invention, the cotton which is pressed solid in bales is first opened up, partially separated and fluffed, and is at the same time partially freed of its dirt and trash, and then, after partial condensation for the purpose of facilitating its handling, it is still further separated into minute flakes, so as to thoroughly straighten the fiber and free it of any remaining foreign matter, being finally condensed and pressed into suitable form for handling and transportation.

WVe have devised machines for performing the various steps of the cleaning and renovating process which are constructed and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. is, rare.

Serial No. 637.354.

adapted to be arranged in such manner as to cooperate with each other in a peculiarly efficient and effective manner, and the present invention relates to the arrangement and combination of the various devices constituting the plant as an entirety and not to the devices themselves.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of our improved plant; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the preliminary fiber opening and fiuifing machine, the section being taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. l is a vertical sectional view of the same machine taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, showing parts of the condenser, the distributor and one of the battery of machines which effect the final opening-up and cleaning of the fiber; Fig. 6 is a cross section of the shaking screen.

The plant comprises a preliminary fiber opening and fiufiing machine A, to which the fiber is fed preferably by hand; a suction and blast device B preferably in the form of a centrifugal fan which is adapted to receive the fiber from the flufiing machine A; a condenser C to which the fluifed fiber is blown from the fan B; a distributer D to which the fiber is delivered from the condenser; and a series or battery of machines E, E, E to which the fiber is fed by the distributer and in which it is more completely opened up and cleansed.

Referring now in detail to the construction illustrated, the preliminary opener and fluffer A comprises a pair of spiked feeding rollers 1 and 2, which are mounted side by side above a larger toothed drum 3. A screen 4, surrounding the drum 3 on its front and under sides, has an upwardly inclined part P and a horizontally extending part a". The rotary drum 3 and the screen 4t are entirely inclosed by a comparatively tight casing 5. The top part of the casing 5 adjacent the feed rollers consists of a plate or board 6 in front of said rollers and of the walls of a wind-box 7 which leads into the casing directly back of the feed rollers. The part 6 and the inclined front wall of the wind-box 7 form a sort of feed-table.

8 is a sliding door in the rear wall of the casing and this door can be raised more or less to provide an air opening of variable size. Adjacent the casing structure above described is arranged an elongated casing 9 within which is mounted a rotating beater in the form of a shaft 10 and having a series of wings or" blades 11, 11. Beneath the beater is arranged a semi-cylindrical screen 12 which extends throughout the length of the beater. The cylindrical chamberthus formed for the beater communicates at one end through an opening 13 with the casing 5. The shafts of the feed rollers, the picker drum and the beater are provided with suitable gears and pulleys, and a driving belt cooperating with the pulleys causes the several parts to be driven, the feed rollers preferably at a relatively low speed, the picker drum at 'a high speed, and the beater preferably at an intermediate speed.

The beater casing is provided at one end with a discharge opening 14 with which is connected a pipe 15 leading to the eye or inlet opening of the centrifugal fan B. The discharge opening of this fan communicates with a pipe 16 which leads into the top of the condenser C. This condenser may be of any preferred construction and is shown as comprising a pair of hollow foraminous drums 18 having open ends in register with circular openings in-the adjacent walls of the casing 17. The arrangement is such that fiufi'ed fiber pressed between the rolls is condensed while the air pressed from the fiber passes through the 'foraminous cylinder walls and escapes through the ends of the cylinders.

The condenser C is arranged above and mounted upon the distributor D which comprises essentially an endless conveyer having a web or belt 19 carrying upstanding backwardcurved slats 20. This conveyer is inclosed in a casing 21 and is supported by said casing structure and the drums 22 and 23 around which it passes. The shaft of the drum 22 is extended at one end to carry a pulley 24 which is driven by a belt 25 from any suitable source of power.

The bottom wall of the casing 21 is formed with a series of discharge hoppers 26, 27 and 28 and beneath each of these hoppers is the receiving opening of one of the machines which effects the final renovating and cleaning of the fiber. VVith-the conveyer of the distributer running in the direction indicated by the dotted arrows, it will be seen that the fiber discharged upon it by the condenser will be carried to the right on the top run of the conveyer, thence around the drum 22, and over the hoppers 26, 27 and 28. As the fiber passes over the hopper 26, if the latter is not full, the fiber will fall into said hopper, and when it'becomes full the fiber is carried past this hopper to the hopper 27 into which it is discharged or over which it is carried according to the extent to which the hopper is filled. In the same way the fiber is carried to the hopper 28, the function of the distributor being to keep the hoppers 26, 27 and 28 suitably filled with fiber. The left end of the casing 21 is open and formed with a downward extending trough or chute 29 which is adapted to convey any excess of fiber to the feed rollers of the fiber opening and flufling machine A.

Referring now to the machines E in which the final steps of the cleaning process are effected, the description of essential features of one of these machines will suflice, as they are all substantially alike. In the inlet opening of the machine are arranged a pair of stuffing rolls 30, 31 upon which the fiber is deposited by the distributer. These rolls grip and force the fiber downward so that it falls upon a conveyer belt 32 which is mounted upon rollers 33 and 31. Above the belt 32 is a similar belt 35 mounted on rollers 36 and 37. The lower run of the upper belt and the upper run of the lower belt converge and as they move in the same direction the fiber falling upon the lower belt is advanced between the two belts and formed into a bat.

Adjacent the rollers 31 and 37 are a pair of gripping and feeding rolls 38, 39, which are preferably corrugated, as shown, are adapted to receive the bat of fiber as it comes from the belts 32 and 35.

-10 is a toothed drum, preferably made up of a series of circular saw disks, and rotatably mounted adjacent the gripping and feeding rolls 38 and 39. Beneath the saw drum is an inclined shaking grate or screen 41 comprising preferably a series of spaced, parallel rods or slats 42. This screen is mounted at its upper end on eccentrics 13 and is supported at its lower end by swinging links 4 1. The rotation of the eccentrics 43 gives the screen a shaking motion.

45 is a mote-brush arranged beneath the saw drum and adapted to knock any fine particles or matted bits of fiber from the drum while permitting the straight, pure fiber adhering to the drum teeth to pass.

46 is a dofiing brush which is arranged parallel to the saw drum and is adapted to dofl the purified fiber from the saw drum and throw it into the discharge conduit 47, which in turn leads into a trunk conduit. This trunk conduit 48 receives the fiber in this manner from each of the machines E, E, E, and is adapted to convey it, under the action of a suction fan or blower, to a suitable condenser and press, not shown.

Beneath the lower end of the shaking screen 41 is arranged an endless convcyer 19 and which is designed to receive any matted fiber which falls upon the screen 41. and slides off the lower end thereof, said screen being designed to permit the passage of particles of dirt, but not the passage of such matted fiber. The conveyer 49 deposits such matted fiber into the open mouth of a conduit 50 which leads to and communicates with the wind-box 7 of the fiber opening and fiufiing machine A. With this construction and arrangement the matted fiber is caused to again pass through the cleaning process.

It will be understood that suitable means are provided for driving the stuffing rolls 30, 31, the bat forming belts 32 and 35, the feed rolls 38 and 39, the saw drum, dofiing brush, mote-brush, and the eccentrics which shake the screen 41. Preferably these parts of each machine E are driven by or from a main driving belt 51, the various rotary parts being inter-connected by suitable gearing devices, indicated as an entirety by the numeral 52. The conveyer belt 49 can be driven by any suitable means.

Referring now to the operation of the entire plant, the impure and tangled fiber, in the dense form in which it has been pressed by baling, is fed by an operative upon the feed rollers l and 2 of the opening and fluiling machine A. These rollers carry the fiber downward to be engaged by the teeth of the rapidly rotating picker drum 3, which tear the fiber into smaller parts and sweep it downward over the screen 1 and throw it off on the inclined part 4* of said screen. During this movement of the fiber, the coarser particles of dirt and impurities are allowed to separate and fall through the screen 4L As the fiber is thrown from the drum 3 it is caught by a current of air entering the easing 5 through the wind-box 7 and through the opening controlled by the slide or door 8. This current of air carries the fiber through the opening 18 into the casing 9 of the beater where it is subjected to the action of the arms or vanes 11 and is quite thoroughly fluifed. As the fiber in this fiuffed condition gradually moves forward with the air current, caused by the suction of the fan B, it is swept around and around in the casing 9, and more of the particles of dirt and impurities are separated and thrown or fall through the screen 12. From the casing 9 the fiuffed cotton is drawn through the pipe 15 and, having passed through the fan 13, is forced thereby through the conduit 16 to the condenser C. Here the fiber is condensed by being passed between the rolls 18 which press the air from it. The fiber in this condensed state is delivered by the condenser upon the endless conveyer of the distributer D. This conveyer carries the fiber around and over the delivery hoppers 26, 27 and 28 or thereinto, in the manner hereinbefore referred to, the arrangement being such as to keep the hoppers full of fiber. If the fiber is being fed to the preliminary opener and flutter A too rapidly, the distributer will discharge the surplus fiber upon the chute 29 which conveys it down upon the feed rolls of the opener and fiufier, and the surplus fiber thus discharged upon the feed rolls serves to indicate to the person feeding that the fiber is being fed too rapidly. From the hoppers 26, 27 and 28 of the distributer the fiber is delivered to the inlet of the several cleaning machines E. The stuffing rolls of each of these machines serve to feed a fairly steady stream of fiber down upon the belt 32 and as the fiber is advanced by this and the cooperating belt 35 it is formed into a bat which is engaged by the gripping and feeding rollers 38, 39 of the machine and fed forward against the rapidly rotating saw drum. The teeth of the saw drum pick the fiber in minute bits from the end of the bat as it is advanced and sweep it rapidly downward and rearward. This separation of the fiber into minute parts serves both to straighten the fiber and to permit the sepa ration of any remaining particles of dirt or impurities. Such particles of dirt fall upon and through the shaking screen 41.

The purified fiber is removed from the saw drum by the dofiing brush, which rotates in the opposite direction and at a higher speed than the saw drum, and, as previously stated, the fiber is thrown from the dofiing brush into the conduit A7 and is discharged thence into the trunk conduit 48, through which it is carried to suitable condensing and baling devices.

If any of the fiber which is torn from the end of the advancing bat by the saw drum remains in a matted condition, the knots or matted bits of fiber are struck by the mote-brush L5 down upon the shaking screen 11, which does not permit it to pass but deliversit upon the conveyor 4:9. This conveyer 4:9 delivers such fiber into the open mouth of the, conduit 50, which leads to and opens into tie wind'box 7 of the opening and fiufling machine A. Ordinarily the suction within the wind-box 7 is sufiicient to create a current of air through the conduit 50 sufficient to convey the fiber therethrough, but, if desired, a supplemental suction or blowin device, such as a fan, may be provided for the conduit 50.

It will be seen that a plant, consisting of the several devices and mechanisms, described and arranged and cooperating in the manner set forth, is adapted to effect the cleaning of cotton or similar fiber as a continuous process. Furthermore, the man ual labor and supervision required is relatively very small.

In the foregoing description we have set forth the construction of the preliminary opening and fiuffingmachine A and of the cleaning machines E only to a sufficient extentto enable the action of these machines upon the fiber to be understood, because the construction of these machines per 86 constitutes no part of our present invention,

by which to govern the rate of the machine A constituting the subject-matter claimed in our copending application Serial No. 637,355, while the machines E constitute the subject-matter claims in our co-pending application Serial No. 687,358.

hat We claim is:

1. In a fiber cleaning and renovating plant, the combination of devices for effecting a partial opening-up and cleaning of the fiber, means for effecting a further opening-up and cleaning of the fiber, means for conveying the fiber from the said opening and cleaning devices and feeding it to the means for effecting further opening and cleaning thereof, and means for returning any excess of fiber from the said feeding means to the first named opening and cleaning devices. e 2. In a plant for cleaning and renovating fiber, the combination of mechanism adapted to have fiber fed to it and to effect a partial opening-up and cleaning of the same, means forfurther treating the fiber, devices for conveying the fiber from the said mechanism and feeding it to the said means, and means for returning any excess of fiber from the said feeding devices to the inlet of the said mechanism at a point in View of the person feeding the fiber thereto, whereby the return of excess fiber serves as an indicator feeding.

3. In a fiber cleaning and renovating plant, the combination of a machine for partially opening-up and cleaning the fiber, a series of machines for effecting a further opening and cleaning of the fiber, a distributing device adapted to feed fiber to the last named machines, means for conveying the fiber from the'first namedmachine to the distributer, and means for conveying excess of fiber from the distributer to the inlet of the first named machine.

4. In a fiber cleaning and renovating plant, the combination of a machine for effecting a partial opening-up and cleaning of the fiber, a second machine adapted to receive the fiber from the first named machine and effect the further opening up and cleaning of said fiber, means comprising a conduit for conveying the fiber from the first to the second machine, a suction device for creating a current of air through the first machine and the conduit to impel the fiber, the said second machine having means for separating incompletely opened and cleaned fiber from that completely opened and cleaned, and means comprising a conveyer and a conduit for returning the incompletely cleaned fiber to the first machine,

said conduit leading to and opening into a space subject to the action of the said suction device.

5. In a fiber cleaning and renovating plant, the combination of a machine for effecting a partial opening-up and cleaning of the fiber, a second machinefor effecting a further opening-up and cleaning of the fiber, means comprising a conduit for conveying the fiber from the discharge of the first machine to the inlet of the second machine, a combined suction and blowing fan in said conduit for drawing a current of air through the first machine and forcing it on toward the second machine, the second ma chine comprising means for separating incompletely opened and cleaned fiber from that completely opened and cleaned, and means for conveying the incompletely opened and cleaned fiber from the second machine to the first machine comprising a conveyer and a conduit leading into a space subject to the suction of the said fan.

6. In a fiber cleaning and renovating plant, the combination of a machine for effecting a partial opening-up and cleaning of the fiber, a second machine for effecting a further opening-up and cleaning of the fiber, means comprising a conduit for con veying the fiber from the discharge of the first machine to the inlet of the second machine, a combined suction and blowing fan in said conduit for drawing a current of air through the first machine and forcing it on toward the second machine, the second machine comprising means for separating incompletely opened and cleaned fiber from that completely opened and cleaned, and means for conveying the incompletely opened and cleaned fiber from the second machine to the first machine comprising a conduit leading into a space subject to the suction of the said fan.

7. In a cotton cleaning and ginning apparatus, the combination of a rapidly rotating toothed disintegrating and feeding mechanism for efiecting an initial opening up and partial cleaning, a beating mechanism adapted to act upon relatively large sub-masses of the disintegrated cotton, means for forming a bat, a toothed ginning mechanism adapted to separate the completely opened up and cleaned cotton from that which is incompletely opened up and cleaned, means for conveying the incompletely opened up and cleaned cotton separated by the ginning mechanism to the aforesaid beating mechanism, and conducting means adapted to take cotton from the beater mechanism to the bat forming and ginning mechanism both before the first action of the ginning mechanism thereon and after such action.

8. In a cotton cleaning and renovating plant, the combination of a preliminary cotton treating apparatus comprising means for opening up and disintegrating the cotton as initially delivered, a beating mechanism, a condensing mechanism, a bat forming mechanism, a ginning mechanism comprising a rapidly rotating toothed drum adapted to separate the incompletely opened up and cleaned cotton from that more completely opened up and cleaned, and means for returning the incompletely opened up and cleaned cotton from the ginning mechanism to thebeating mechanism, said heating mechanism, condenser and bat former all being arranged to have the cotton conducted a second time through them successively to the ginning mechanism.

9. In a cotton cleaning and renovating mechanism, the combination of devices for initially feeding masses of cotton, means for disintegrating said masses While being advanced by the feeder and separating the fibers, means for screening the cotton While being disintegrated, a beating mechanism for agitating relatively large masses of the disintegrated fiber, means for forming a bat of the disintegrated fiber, a gin saw drum against which the bat is advanced and Which is adapted to separate the masses of nondisintegrated fiber from those Which have been disintegrated, and devices for returning from the ginning mechanism the non disintegrated fiber to the aforesaid beating mechanism, said train of mechanisms being arranged substantially as set forth to permit the cotton after leaving the beating mechanism to be again taken to the ginning mechanism.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures, in the presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES C. GARNER. C. S. REYNOLDS.

Witnesses as to the signature of James C. Garner:

JOHN M. BOOTH, G. D. GARRETT. Witnesses as to the signature of G. S. Reynolds:

T. P. FOLEY, T. H. DISENENS.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents, Washington, D. G. 

